Matthew 4 - "Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil."…
Matthew 3 - Photo credit: Nelson's New Illustrated Commentary Pictured is the traditionally accepted site (the Jordan River) for the…
Matthew 2 - Remarkably, the calendar we all depend on was originally created around Jesus' birth. Medieval creators tried to…
Matthew 1 - The Gospels do not record a single word spoken by this man. Yet, the Gospel account written…
Proverbs 31 - Proverbs 31 is a famous chapter describing a virtuous woman of God. Many of us have heard…
Proverbs 30 - Nelson's Commentary gives us a brief introduction to the mysterious authors of the last two chapters of…
Proverbs 29 - "Bloodthirsty men hate an honest person, but the upright care about him." Proverbs 29:10 HCSB "When the…
Proverbs 28 - "The one who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find…
Proverbs 27 - "As water reflects the face, so the heart reflects the person. 20 Sheol and Abaddon are never…
Proverbs 26 - I'm going to analyze verse 4 in comparison to verse 5. Here are both of the verses…
Proverbs 25 - "If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him…
Proverbs 24 - The empty U-Haul is parked out front. Your belongings are packed away in boxes. The move has…
Proverbs 23 - "Don't let your heart envy sinners; instead, always fear the LORD. 18 For then you will have…
Proverbs 22 - "The rich and the poor have this in common: the LORD made them both." Proverbs 22:2 HCSB …
Proverbs 21 - A very intriguing verse in this chapter of Proverbs includes a reference back to the days of…
Proverbs 20 - This chapter really addresses a diverse range of topics. Excessive drinking, gossip, pride, and disobedience, just to…
Proverbs 19 - If you are like me then you might have read this chapter and become uncomfortable with a…
Proverbs 18 - Communication is essential for life, and it's a big part of how we reach the world as…
Proverbs 17 - As I read this chapter, I see a theme of relational conflict. "Better a dry crust with…
Proverbs 16 - "A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps." Proverbs 16:9 HCSB This passage…
Proverbs 15 - "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good." Proverbs 15:3 HCSB This…
Proverbs 14 - As we journey through Proverbs, you can really pick out any phrase and focus on its content…
Proverbs 13 - "Do not be deceived: "Bad company corrupts good morals."" 1 Corinthians 15:33 HCSB Through God's pursuit of…
Proverbs 12 - Discipline is hard. Accepting instruction is difficult. They both require us to delay our satisfaction. When we…
Proverbs 11 - God provides many illustrations in Scripture explaining that He deals with people based on how they deal…
Proverbs 10 - Up until this point in Proverbs, we have studied the difference between the foolishness of men and…
Proverbs 9 - Proverbs 9: Only a fool would deny God. How do you know if you are acting foolishly?…
Proverbs 8 - When I was in college, I reluctantly took a poetry class. It was difficult for me, but…
Proverbs 7 - Verse 7 reads... "Once I was looking out the window of my house, 7 and I saw…
Proverbs 6 - Satisfaction comes when we do what we ought to do. Taking care of our responsibilities and prioritizing…
Proverbs 5 - Upon an initial read of this chapter, it seems as if Solomon is painting a negative picture…
Proverbs 4 - As a kid, I remember going down to the beaches of Florida for our family vacations. One…
Proverbs 3 - It doesn't matter if you are talking about running a business, a ministry, or a family; there…
Proverbs 2 - In Proverbs 1, we learned that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Here…
2 Peter 3 - Peter was writing, at the time, against the theory of uniformitarianism. It states that the processes…
2 Peter 2 - 2 Peter 2 opens by describing two different kinds of false people within the church. Maybe…
2 Peter 1 - Peter was a bond-servant and apostle. This is a unique combination, being subject to all others…
1 Peter 5 - Peter is following up on his previous chapter on suffering. It's no surprise that in order…
1 Peter 4 - Arm yourself! This is a powerful opening in 1 Peter 4. Our thought process regarding suffering…
1 Peter 3 - It's in this chapter that Peter makes a strange statement about Jesus going to hell after…
1 Peter 2 - Peter opens with the process of transformation. The true progression of spiritual growth is measured by…
1 Peter 1 - It is beneficial to explore the interesting background on the book of Peter. First, many scholars…
Philemon 1 - Paul offers us a lesson in diplomacy and peacemaking. At the time, Paul was a prisoner in…
Titus 3 - Have you ever been involved in a foolish conversation? How about an endless quarrel about a technicality?…
Titus 2 - Years ago, I remember a conversation I was having with a group of teenagers when suddenly the…
Titus 1 - Parenting is not an easy task. It involves incredible commitment, unyielding problem-solving, and loads of diapers. Parenting…
2 Samuel 24 - This account of a census is a puzzling chapter. We wonder today, what could be wrong…
2 Samuel 23 - David was never ashamed of who he was and where he came from. In a culture…
2 Samuel 22 - My rock, my fortress, and my deliverer. These were the words David penned about God after…
2 Samuel 21 - King David was seemingly indestructible. He was a beast on the battlefield and a musician at…
2 Samuel 20 - Concubines, intestines, and a severed head being thrown over a wall! This chapter is not for…
2 Samuel 19 - It's an awkward moment when the rebels realize their rebellion has failed and the king they…
2 Samuel 18 - This is a difficult chapter to absorb. On one hand, justice was served and the rightful…
2 Samuel 17 - Ahithophel had gone all in. He was firmly in Absalon's camp after abruptly turning on David.…
2 Samuel 16 - The reason why we read several chapters back about the grace David extended to Saul's family…
2 Samuel 15 - Absalom was good looking, charismatic, and a cutthroat politician. Modern-day politicians would do well to study…
2 Samuel 14 - David's go-to plan of action always centered around waiting on the Lord. I'm speculating, but it's…
2 Samuel 13 - What a mess here in 2 Samuel 13! It's hard to know where to begin. Amnon…
2 Samuel 12 - Sin often causes innocent people to perish. This is because sin cannot be overlooked. Though David…
2 Samuel 11 - Most of us know the story of 2 Samuel 11. David's sin and repentance are well-documented.…
2 Samuel 10 - After David's men were humiliated by the Ammonites, a war was sure to break out. The…
2 Samuel 9 - David had made a promise to Jonathan, and David was a man of his word. So…
2 Samuel 8 - In many ways, David is presented as the "anti-Saul" even though at times, their behavior does…
2 Samuel 7 - We live in a society of bare minimums. What's the least I can pay and still…
2 Samuel 6 - Familiarity can often produce deadly results. It was Jesus who proclaimed he could do no miracles…
2 Samuel 5 - Every sports fan knows the term "bulletin board material." It occurs days or weeks before a…
2 Samuel 4 - In 2 Samuel 4, we see the collision of two different kingdoms. Humanity's kingdom operates within…
2 Samuel 3 - In 2 Samuel 3, we find two men making a deal in order to see their…
2 Samuel 2 - There is an interesting backstory on the relationships that take place in this chapter. Abner crowns…
2 Samuel 1 - There are three versions of Saul's death mentioned in Scripture and one of them is found…
1 Samuel 31 - Let's do a quick recap. In desperation, Saul traveled to see a witch who brought back…
1 Samuel 30 - David returns to Zikleg, where he had fled from Saul only to find that while he…
1 Samuel 29 - Can you imagine David fighting against his friends and family? Can you imagine him going to…
1 Samuel 28 - I've always had lots of questions about 1 Samuel 28. Was David actually going to fight…
1 Samuel 27 - The life of David is not all sunshine and rainbows. Though he was a man after…
1 Samuel 26 - If there was ever a justifiable moment for David to end Saul's life, this was it.…
1 Samuel 25 - As well as David reacted to having a moment with Saul to himself, he backtracks with…
1 Samuel 24 - David retreats with his men to the caves of the Wilderness of En Gedi. This was…
1 Samuel 23 - All Saul cares about is killing David. He doesn't care about worshiping God. He doesn't care…
1 Samuel 22 - There's no doubt that David felt completely isolated. Living in a cave, he was completely humiliated.…
1 Samuel 21 - David has lost so much. He has gone from the beloved and admired son-in-law of King…
1 Samuel 20 - Saul has become a volcanic madman. David is struggling with trust and discernment. Jonathan is caught…
1 Samuel 19 - Saul has tried everything by this point. He will not be satisfied until David is dead.…
1 Samuel 18 - “Saul has slain his thousands,And David his ten thousands.” The wording here says that "all cities…
1 Samuel 17 - Malcolm Gladwell recently delivered a TED talk titled, "The Unheard Story of David and Goliath." In…
1 Samuel 16 - Samuel loved Saul. He wanted so badly to see him live a fruitful life. But there…
1 Samuel 15 - Do what you want, and ask for forgiveness later. If God is full of love, and…
1 Samuel 14 - Those who are dialed into the Spirit are sensitive to the timing of the Lord. In…
1 Samuel 13 - Here in 1 Samuel 13, we see the battle between the Philistines and the Israelites begin…
1 Samuel 12 - When our vision is blinded to reality, sometimes the most effective reminder comes from God flexing…
1 Samuel 11 - Nahash meant business. He threatened to humiliate and poke out the right eye of every man…
1 Samuel 10 - Once again, I want to point out the detail that many miss when Saul is anointed…
1 Samuel 9 - Saul had everything going for him. He came from a family of prominence and wealth. His…
1 Samuel 8 - Samuel's reputation as a judge was top-notch. He followed in a long line of judges who…
1 Samuel 7 - Coming off the heels of their defeat to the Philistines, Samuel would bring forth a challenge.…
2 Timothy 4 - I have never really noticed this before, but I am struck by Paul's confidence in 2…
2 Timothy 3 - We have already seen it mentioned times over the last several chapters, but Paul once again…
2 Timothy 2 - There's only one Gospel. There's only one Gospel. There's. Only. ONE. Gospel. The Gospel = Suffering…
2 Timothy 1 - The personal nature of 2 Timothy 1 really shines! Paul was such a gifted communicator and…
1 Timothy 6 - Paul bookends this letter by circling back to his thoughts from 1 Timothy 1. In that…